'Seriously?': Palm Bay police release bodycam of Peter Filiberto arrest

J.D. Gallop, Florida Today
·3 min read

The Palm Bay Police Department released the bodycam footage of then-City Council member Peter Filiberto being taken into custody during a nighttime traffic stop earlier this month after falling from his motorcycle.

Filiberto, who told the arresting officer he had been "enjoying his night," was still wearing sunglasses as officers searched him on the street during the Feb. 11 stop along Lipscomb Street.

“Seriously?” an officer could be heard saying after being handed Filiberto’s card pulled from his wallet moments later. "That's why you were running," another unidentified officer said to the handcuffed 34-year-old as she reviewed the first-term council member’s business card.

The arrest on a felony drug charge of the well-connected, sitting council member — and son of a former Palm Bay mayor — in a city still recovering from several corruption investigations drew immediate calls for Filiberto's resignation, including from a fellow Republican, Mayor Rob Medina.

Resignation:Filiberto resigns Palm Bay City Council seat nearly a week after arrest

Skipped meeting:Palm Bay City Council to draft letter to Governor DeSantis asking for Filiberto's removal

More on the incident:Council Member Filiberto's cocaine-DUI arrest raises questions for fellow Palm Bay council members

Filiberto, who skipped a regular city council meeting that followed days after his arrest, resigned from office on Friday. The council, which oversees Brevard County's largest municipality, was set to gather Thursday for a special meeting to declare that Filiberto's seat has been vacated. Within 60 days, the council will meet later to appoint someone to the seat. Filiberto had won a special election, which cost the city $253,628 to hold, to replace then-council member Jeff Bailey, who resigned to take a new job in another state.

Palm Bay, FL city council candidate Pete Filiberto waves to supporters outside City Hall Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020. Mandatory Credit: Craig Bailey/FLORIDA TODAY via USA TODAY NETWORK
Palm Bay, FL city council candidate Pete Filiberto waves to supporters outside City Hall Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020. Mandatory Credit: Craig Bailey/FLORIDA TODAY via USA TODAY NETWORK

Filiberto was charged with possession of a controlled substance, a third-degree felony, when police found 10.6 grams of cocaine tucked away in his socks at the department's holding cell, according to an arrest affidavit. Investigators were reviewing other details in the case, including where the cocaine may have come from.

The arresting officer on the scene can be heard saying Filiberto was coming out of the Driskell Heights neighborhood near south Melbourne and appeared to be hiding in the nearby woods. The officer followed him, turned on his lights and then saw Filiberto speed up on his motorcycle before falling. The bodycam video was released on Tuesday.

The Palm Bay Police Department recently released body cam footage from the stop and arrest of former Palm Bay City Councilman Peter Filiberto.
The Palm Bay Police Department recently released body cam footage from the stop and arrest of former Palm Bay City Councilman Peter Filiberto.

Officers on the scene said Filiberto "reeked of alcohol" as they took him into custody. Another officer read the council member his rights. Filiberto turned down a request from the officer for a field sobriety test, despite a warning that he could lose his right to drive, the video shows.

Filiberto, clad in jeans and a T-shirt, was then transported to the Palm Bay Police Department's holding area, where the search uncovered the cocaine, records show.

At the Thursday night meeting, Palm Bay City Council voted unanimously to draft a letter to the governor asking to remove council member Peter Filiberto from office. Filiberto did not show up for the meeting. He resigned the next day. (Photo: MALCOLM DENEMARK/FLORIDA TODAY)
At the Thursday night meeting, Palm Bay City Council voted unanimously to draft a letter to the governor asking to remove council member Peter Filiberto from office. Filiberto did not show up for the meeting. He resigned the next day. (Photo: MALCOLM DENEMARK/FLORIDA TODAY)

Filiberto was removed from his position on Brevard County planning and zoning committee Tuesday. Commissioner Kristine Zonka, who appointed Filiberto, has not yet announced the process for selecting a new member to replace him. The state attorney's office formally filed charges in the case this week, dismissing a reckless driving charge. No court date has been set.

J.D. Gallop is a criminal justice/breaking news reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Gallop at 321-917-4641 or jgallop@floridatoday.com. Twitter: @JDGallop.

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Bodycam footage shows DUI arrest of former Palm Bay official Filiberto